New Civil Rights Issues
With the help of strong individuals, small organization, and government influence successful intervention can be accomplished while promoting a cause and gaining rights for an issue.
African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Ella Baker, and many more help characterize the movement by major campaigns of civil resistance. In the late 1950s through the early 1960s there were many acts of nonviolent protest and violent protest that forced businesses, government, and activists to react by making changes.
The Montgomery Improvement Association was created to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, they managed to keep the boycott going for over a year until a federal court order required Montgomery to desegregate its buses.
This boycott is a great example of how small organization can force government to act on there protests. This was just one of many of these examples.
The Montgomery Improvement Association was created to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, they managed to keep the boycott going for over a year until a federal court order required Montgomery to desegregate its buses.
This boycott is a great example of how small organization can force government to act on there protests. This was just one of many of these examples.
Context
Protesting by powerful leaders, small organization, and also government influence all helped to achieve the cause of gaining political, economic, and social freedom and rights. All three of these areas helped the civil rights movement be so successful in promoting a cause.
Historical Development
Throughout history African-Americans have been considered unequal to whites in our society. African-Americans have made many efforts throughout history, demonstrated in big moments of our country history. Some successful and some not but the all were focused on the fighting for the same cause, their rights and freedom.
U.S as a World Power
During the Spanish American War many African Americans enlisted in the military to help fight the war. This was an effort to gain respect form white males by fighting along side them. After the war was over and everybody had returned home it seemed that this had been a failed effort, for the were treated with no more respect than they were before the war. This is just one example of how African-Americans would fight for there equality. It was attempts like these that all lead to the successful civil rights movement later on.
Progressive Era
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the NAACP was created in 1986 during the Progressive Era. This particular groups purpose was to help gain rights for African-Americans, this was a huge step in gaining equality later on although they did not make any real impact during the Progressive Era. At this point in time the African-American community was making good nonviolent attempts at gaining there own rights. These small organizations started to work better later on when they were also paired with strong individuals and government influence.
World War I
African-Americans made monumental steps toward equality during this time. When the war heated up African-Americans were drafted and sent overseas to fight. Some African-Americans joined the war by there own free will to help gain respect and equality. After got started and really intense the Great Migration occurred, which sent blacks up north to work were the white soldiers couldn't because they were off at war. This proved later helped proved that African-Americans could work in factories and shops and be successful in doing so.
Roaring 20s
The Roaring 20s was also a big time period for African-Americans, but in a different form of trying to gain equality. During this time African-Americans started something called the Harlem Renaissance also know as the "New Negro Movement". This movement was in the form of art, literature, and music. This was away for African-Americans to express the way they feel and there thoughts of civil rights in a peaceful form. This was such an important thing because it was a major part of what they were being discriminated against for. They proved that they can read books and write stories and even get published in local newspapers.
Great Depression and New Deal
The great depression was an extremely hard time for everyone but African-Americans had it the worst. They were already getting paid a substantially lower salary and they were also the first people to be laid off. Although with the New Deal programs it helped ease the pain a bit. The CCC, WPA. and NYA were all created to help African-Americans with employment opportunities and unemployment benefits. This was the first immediately affective attempt at equality.
Significance
Even today we still struggle with discrimination against blacks. Although today every group of people uses the same techniques that African-Americans showed the world during the Civil Rights Movement.
America’s struggles with race and racism are never completely out of the news.
But it is hard to remember when a series of stories have given this issue such
resonance, whether in the rulings of the Supreme Court on affirmative action and voting rights, a tense trial in a Florida courtroom and even the racially insensitive comments of a celebrity chef.
Yet the good feelings among blacks after Barack Obama’s election co-exist
with a persistent belief that discrimination and unfairness remain a part of
life for African Americans in this country.
But it is hard to remember when a series of stories have given this issue such
resonance, whether in the rulings of the Supreme Court on affirmative action and voting rights, a tense trial in a Florida courtroom and even the racially insensitive comments of a celebrity chef.
Yet the good feelings among blacks after Barack Obama’s election co-exist
with a persistent belief that discrimination and unfairness remain a part of
life for African Americans in this country.